LAPD Investigates 'You Take My Breath Away' George Floyd Photo

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating reports that an employee of the department authored, posted or shared a photo of George Floyd online with the caption "you take my breath away," the department said Saturday night.

A personnel complaint has since been initiated, LAPD officer Rosario Cervantes told Patch. Cervantes said she was unable to disclose any information about a specific employee nor when the post was published.

"We are aware of that inappropriate post," Cervantes said.

The department later tweeted that there have been allegations that the photo was passed around between officers.

An email from Captain Jay Mastick of the Harbor Patrol Division was sent to the department's harbor personnel on Friday, Cervantes confirmed. The email was posted to Twitter by journalist and political commentator Jasmyne Cannick on Saturday.

"I just received word through the chain of command of a complaint that was generated on an inappropriate online post from a Department member," Mastick wrote in the email. "The post depicts a photo of George Floyd, with a caption, 'you take my breath away' in a valentine format.

"Chief Moore was disgusted by the post and directed that a Department complaint be generated," he continued. "...Messages with inappropriate content may also result in discipline.

"I ask that you maintain your professionalism and use judicious restraint while posting online because it will ultimately reflect on you and your position with the Department," he wrote.

The department said Saturday that "any actual postings in the workplace" had not yet been confirmed.

"We have raised the apparent existence of the image and directed commands to survey the worksites for it," the department tweeted.

The officer who made the complaint will be interviewed Monday, Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Times.

"If found any employee or supervisor is directed to take possession and identify those present. The Department will have zero tolerance for this type of behavior," LAPD officials tweeted.

Floyd died on May 31 of last year when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.

This is a developing story, refresh the page for updates.

So someone in the LAPD posted a photo of George Floyd on social media with the caption, "you take my breathe away" in a Valentine format.

Really? This doesn't help the situation. I'm curious as to the division and rank of the person who made the post. Holla. pic.twitter.com/bclHH8U2Di
— Jasmyne Cannick (@Jasmyne) February 14, 2021

The Department has become aware of allegations that an image was being passed around the department and this image was in the workplace. There are also allegations that the post with the image was authored by a department employee.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) February 14, 2021